Toy



July 28, 1959 TOY I 2 Sheets-Sheet} Filed March 31, 1958 INVENTORS vCLIFFORD A. STEARN RRI S HOPE ATTORNEYS N. HOPE EI'AL 2,896,802

July 28, 1959 HOPE ETAL 2,896,802

TOY

Filed March 31-, 1 958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 3

INVENTORS CLIFFORD A. STEARN NORR\$ HOPE TORNEYS TOY Norris Hope, CampBorden, Ontario, and Clifford A. Steam, Angus, Ontario, CanadaApplication March 31, 1958, Serial No. 725,232

2 Claims. (Cl. 214-138) This invention relates to a childrens toy whichsimulates an excavation crane and is of such a size that the child mayoperate it on sandpiles or the like.

The invention generally provides a frame simulating the body of a craneand a boom projecting therefrom simulating the boom of a crane. Anoperative arm is pivotally mounted adjacent the upper extremity of saidboom and extends downwardly therefrom and simulates the shovel carryingmember of an excavation crane. A shovel is mounted adjacent the lowerextremity of said arm and means are provided to move said arm about saidpivot point. 1

Prior devices of this general type have suffered from the disadvantagethat complicated means were required to tilt the shovel forward awayfrom the crane to ensure that it bit into the ground or sandpile.

This invention allows such forward tilting of the shovel by providing abase which will rest on the surface to be excavated adjacent theexcavation site and providing that the frame shall be swingably androckably mounted on said base, the arm being of such a length that theshovel may be caused to bite into the excavation site by rocking theframe forwardly on the base (on movement of the arm about its pivotedmounting) or that the shovel may be swung through its arc of movementfree of the excavation surface by tilting the frame backwardly relativeto the base.

Prior devices, because of the linkages used between control means on theframe and the pivotably mounted arm on the boom do not in appearancesimulate the appearance of a crane.

A form of this invention effectively simulates the appearance of a craneby providing that the control means shall comprise a lever pivotablymounted on the frame with manual control means above the pivot point anda link with one end connected to the lever below said pivot point and atthe other end connected to the shovel mounting arm below said pivotpoint. By this arrangement the connecting link which does not simulate apart on a real crane is in a low location where it is comparativelyinsignificant while the boom and the control means, which simulate theircounterparts in a real crane, are the salient features of the toy.

In drawings which illustrate embodiments of the invention:

Figure 1 shows a perspective view of the device, and

Figures 2 and 3 show side view thereof.

In the drawings is shown a base preferably of tubular stock adapted torest on and support the device on a surface to be excavated. A shaft 12projects upwardly to swingably and rockably mount adjacent the topthereof a frame 16 on a bearing 13. The bearing may be of any convenienttype which allows the frame to swing about the axis of shaft 12 andallows a limited amount of rocking movement. In practice we have foundthat a front wheel auto hearing or the like may effectively be used.

The frame 16 preferably comprises two spaced bars of "ice tubular stockjoined at each end by cross members 16 and 28 and centrally joined by across plate -14 to make a unitary structure. The cross plate 14 suppliesthe mounting for the frame on the bearing 13.

a The cross member 28 may be made integral with the parallel bars 16 sothat the frame is made from a single U-shaped piece of tubular stock.

The frame 16 therefore projects on each side of the bearing 13, ashortdistance toward cross member 18 and a longer distance toward crossmember 28.

A seat 24 preferably of wood is supported adjacent cross member 18 bystruts 20 attached to frame members 16 and a strut 22 attached to crossmember 18.

It is thus intended that the device may be manipulated by a child seatedon seat 24 and facing the other end of the frame with his feetcontacting the ground approximately straddling base 10.

Within easy manual reach of'such child therefore is provided a controlarm 30 rigidly fastened to one of the frame members 16 and projectingupwardly therefrom and provided at its upper extremity with a hand grip34. The child may thus control the rock of the device by sitting on seat24, placing his feet on the ground, his hand on hand grip 34 and rockingthe frame forward or back about bearing 13, by pressure on the handgrip.

A right-angled tubular member 32 is rigidly attached to a frame member16 opposite the point of attachment of control arm 30. The memberprojects upwardly and then at right-angles across the frame to connectwith control arm 30 by any convenient means.

Controllever 35 is pivotally mounted on the crossportion of tubularmember 32 preferably by providing an aperture in control lever 35 toreceive the tubular member.

Control lever 35 preferably extends above the frame to a height equal tothat of control arm 30 and has at its upper extremity a hand grip 36.

The control lever 35 projects below cross portion 32 and has a jog builttherein to displace its lower extremity toward control arm 30, for apurpose to be hereinafter described.

Adjacent the cross member 28 on the frame 16 is rigidly attached a crossplate 29 from which two spaced tubular members 26 project upwardly andoutwardly of the frame 16 and are joined at their frame remote extremityby a pivot pin 50 extending between them to form the boom of thesimulated crane.

An operative arm 48 is pivotally connected to the boom by being mountedon pivot pin 50 and hanging downwardly therefrom. At the lower extremityof the arm 48 a cross member 52 is provided with downwardly extendingears 54 which are attached preferably by riveting to the upstandingwalls of a U-shaped shovel member 50. It will be seen that the bitingedge 51 of the shovel is designed to contact the excavation surface andthat on forward movement of the operating arm 48 the reaction of theexcavation surface on the shovel will rotate it backwardly about therivets to a limit position set by contact of shovel edges 50E on crossplate 52.

The arm 48 is of such a length that the edge 51 of the shovel will bitethe excavation surface when the arm 48 swings forwardly in its are ifthe frame is rocked downwardly at the shovel end but that the shovelwill swing clear of the excavation surface when the arm 48 swingsforwardly in its arc if the frame is rocked upwardly at the shovel end.The rocking of course refers to the attitude of the frame 16 relative tothe base 10 and takes place about the bearing 13.

A trap door or tail gate 57 swingably closes the rear end of the shovel50 and may be latched closed by latch 58 cooperating with ring 56 onshovel 50. The latch includes a key 59 spring biased downwardly towardlatching position and having a ring projecting upwardly therefromwhereby an upward pull on the ring'will 'unlatch the tail gate 57.

A control link 40 ,ispivotally, joined to operating arm 48 bymeansvofsplit ring 46 surrounding the arm and having pivot pin 41 tojoin thelink 40. The control link 40 is at its other end universablyconnected by joint 38 to operating lever 35 adjacent the lower extremityof the lever and below its pivotalmounting on frame member 32.

It will be obvious that. the connection between link 40 and operatinglever 35 might be above the pivotal mounting of the lever or framemember 32. The operating arm 48 with such connection. would still becontrollable by the lever, although the lever movemennt to producemovement of operating arm 48 in a given direction would be reversed inrelation to that shown in Figure l. However by connecting the link 47 tolever 35 and arm 48 below their respective pivot points the connectinglink 47 which does not simulate a part of a real crane, is placed in acomparatively insignificant location. Such location accentuates thesalient feature of the boom 26 and control members 35 and 30 all ofwhich simulate parts of a real crane. 7 The accentuation of the boom andcontrol members relative to the connecting link, is increased byextending the connecting link 47 between the spaced boom members 26 andit is for thisreason that a jog may be required in control lever 35.

The connection 38 between control lever and connecting link 40 ispreferably a universal one to ensure freedom of movement but it is feltthat a simple pivotalconnection will operate. Q

The ring of latching means. 59 is connected to a cord 42 which isthreaded through an aperture in split ring 46 and led over to controlarm 30 for securement. The cord is of such a length as to normally handloose.

The structural members are preferably made rounded to avoid injury tochildren through sharp corners and are made hollow for lightness andeasy portability by the child. Thus the device is preferably constructedof tubular stock.

The device is operated by a child seated on seat 24 with his feetcontacting the excavation surface and straddling the base 10 which alsorests on the excavation surface.

The tail gate 57 being latched closed, the child grasps hand grip 34 oncontrol arm 30 and rocks the frame 16 backwardly relative to base 10 sothat the arc of the shovel travel about pivot 50 will be clear of theexcavation site. The child with his other hand grasps hand grip 36 ofcontrol lever 35 pushing it' forwardly and swinging the arm 48 andshovel 50 to the rearward position. Being ready to excavate the childpresses forwardly on hand grip 34 of control arm 30 and gaining anynecessary assistance from his feet, rocks the frame 16 forwardlyrelative to base '10 so that the device is in the position shown by thesolid lines of Figure 3.

With the frame still rocked forwardly, the child pulls backwardly onhand grip 36 actuating operative arm 48 forwardly to push some of thesurface material into the shovel 50.

When the shovel is sufficiently full, the child may grasp the hand grip34 of control arm 30 and rock frame 16 backwardly relative to the base10 so that the shovel clears the excavation surface. Alternatively theforward motion ofthe shovel 50 may be continued with the frame rockedforwardly, until the shovel 50 swings clear of the excavation surface.

In either event, with the shovel full the child may by grasping handgrip 34 of control arm 30 rotate the frame 16 about base 10 in eitherdirection to dump the load in the shovel by' pulling cord 42 andreleasing latch'58--59.

The trip 58 may be closed again by swinging the shovel 50 rapidly to therearward position and closing the latch under a combination of inertiaand gravity. V

The excavation process may then be repeated;

What we claim as our invention is:

l. A childs toy comprising: a base for supporting the operational partsof said toy resting on a surface, a frame swingably and rockably mountedon said base, a boom projecting upwardly and outwardly therefrom, anoperating lever pivotally mounted adjacent the upper extremity of saidboom and extending downwardly therefrom, a shovel mounted adjacent thelower extremity of said operating lever and adapted to contact suchsurface and means for moving said operating lever about said pivotpoint.

2. A childs toy comprising a base adapted to rest on a surface,- a frameswingably and rockably mounted thereon, a seat on said frame allowing achild seated thereon to touch his feet to the ground, a shovel movablymounted on said frame adapted to contact said surface in at least someof the rockable positions assumable by said frame relative to said base,means on saidframe allowing control by a child so seated of themovements of said shovel and a control arm connected to said framehaving a hand grip thereon for easy manual control of said frame by achild seated on said frame.

References Cited in the file of this patent V UNITED STATES PATENTS1,827,541 Opperman Oct. 13, 1931 2,247,619 Penica July 1, 1941 2,812,869Nisperly Nov. 12, 1957 2,822,641 Lamb Feb. 11, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS619,367 Great Britain Mar. 8, 1949

